Bougie approach improves first-attempt success rate compared to stylet approach in patients with difficult airway needing endotracheal intubation: a meta-analysis.

Abstract

Bougies and stylets are widely acknowledged as effective tools for managing endotracheal intubation, uncertainties persist regarding the comparative efficacy and safety of bougie versus stylet approaches in endotracheal intubation. A comprehensive electronic search was conducted on the Cochrane Library, PubMed, and Embase databases from inception to December 9, 2023, using the keywords "endotracheal intubation," "bougie," and "stylet." This meta-analysis aims to evaluate and compare the performance of bougies and stylets in patients undergoing endotracheal intubation. A total of 12 articles, encompassing 2534 participants, were included in this meta-analysis. The bougie approach did not exhibit superiority in first-attempt success rate (83.6% vs. 81.7%; OR, 1.06, 95% CI, 0.49 to 2.29; P=0.89) and total intubation success rate (99.3% vs. 97.6%; OR, 2.32, 95% CI, 0.44 to 12.34; P=0.32, I2>50%, P<0.001). However, in patients with difficult airways, the bougie approach demonstrated a superior first-attempt success rate compared to the stylet approach (93.8% vs. 76.4%; OR, 5.25, 95% CI, 2.74 to 10.05; P<0.001). There was no significant difference in complications between the bougie and stylet approaches (P>0.05). For patients with difficult airway characteristics, our recommendation is to perform endotracheal intubation (ETI) using the bougie approach over the stylet approach, as it has been associated with a better first-attempt success rate. Notably, the advantages of using a bougie may be less pronounced for patients without signs of a difficult airway.